Our History

The First to Bring Commercial Designs to Home Brewing Equipment

We got started in the equipment side of the industry in 2009 after John purchased a homebrew fermenter for himself and recognized that there could be many improvements in its design by incorporating commercial features previously unseen on  home brewing equipment.  The result was that Stout Tanks and Kettles developed the first stainless steel conical fermenter for homebrewers that utilized welded sanitary tri-clamp fittings and valves, eliminating unsanitary threaded fittings that contact your beer and require painstaking cleaning after every use. 

Homebrewers quickly recognized the superior designs and quality of the equipment, demanding not only fermenters, but brew kettles as well.  As a result, Stout Tanks and Kettles reshaped the homebrew market with its innovative kettle designs that incorporated commercial features such as tangential inlets on brew kettles, bottom outlet mash tuns, and hot liquor tanks with built-in recirculation ports.  Today, we continue to lead the homebrew industry with new designs and advancements while maintaining the high quality and easy to clean features that make our products stand out. 

A True Brewer's Beginning

In 1996, after being an avid homebrewer for 8 years, Stout Tanks and Kettles’ founder, John Watt, got started in the brewing industry by launching  his own microbrewery.  Leaving behind a rising corporate career, he forged a new path for himself.  John creatively assembled a 20 bbl brewery utilizing a mix of new brew tanks and used dairy equipment, an ancient Meyer 24-head bottle filler and a variety of  other pieces and parts. Over the next 9 years, he learned all the ins and outs of operating a brewery until he sold the business in 2005 to move back to his home state of Oregon.  

John Watt | Founder, CEO

John Watt is the founder of Stout Tanks and Kettles.  He was the first to bring commercial designs to home brewing equipment.  He began homebrewing in 1988 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  In 1996, he opened the 20 bbl Sonora Brewing Company in Phoenix, Arizona and operated it until late 2004 when he sold it to relocate back home to Oregon. 

In 2009, John started Stout Tanks and Kettles, LLC with an initial focus on high end, commercial quality homebrew equipment.  The company began serving the nanobrewery and microbrewery markets in 2011 and now offers brewhouses up to 30 bbls in size.  John became interested in Low Oxygen brewing in 2016 and began making design changes in the company’s homebrew equipment to better serve this unique brewing method. 

Leading the Nano Brewery Market

By combining our expertise in simple and effective home brewing equipment with years of experience operating a commercial brewery, the company soon realized we could help all brewers achieve their dreams of making great beer with cost efficient solutions.  Stout Tanks and Kettles again led the way, helping hundreds of brewers start their own nano breweries and micro breweries with commercial brewing equipment that performs tirelessly day in and day out, yet doesn’t break the bank.  

The Craft Brewery Experts

Stout Tanks and Kettles can help you start and grow your nano brewery, whether you are going commercial or simply want to be the best homebrewer you can be.  We are uniquely qualified to help you because we’ve been there, from putting together a business plan, digging trenches for floor drains, assembling the system or trying to figure out why the IBU’s in a batch weren’t what was expected.  We strive to provide amazing customer service and will recommend only the equipment you need for your brewery, winery, or production facility.  Let's start the conversation.